When Sorrows Like Sea Billows Roll

Hey everyone!
I hope your new year is going splendidly so far...mine certainly is! :) A few weeks ago, a friend from a church I really love asked if I could write a post for their ladies' newsletter. I was thrilled for the opportunity! If you have time, you should definitely check it out online at Grace and Honor...they have articles for women of all ages and stages of life. I've really enjoyed reading them! I wanted to include the post that I wrote on my blog as well, so here it is. ;)

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Do you ever face something in life that looms over your heart like a black cloud? Perhaps it's a tough decision that you desperately need wisdom in. Maybe a time of grief or pain over losing someone you love, or sorrow over family and friends that have turned away from following God. It could be a time of upheaval or change...we ladies sure do love change, right?

Not.

For me, change is a struggle. I know that God is at work, and that everything will turn out for His glory if I am following His will. But when I am here and now, in the thick of it, change is hard. Life can be challenging and scary at times. It is not fun to go through trials, to make difficult choices, or to have someone dear to me pass on to be with The Lord.

Sometimes, when facing these looming issues, it's so much easier to be brave and strong during the day. There are things to do, places to go, people to see. It's not hard to keep myself distracted.

And then comes the night. Stillness closes around me, and with it, the difficult thoughts I've managed to push away all through the day. Fear knocks hard at the door, demanding entrance into my mind. After all, just look at how big and scary this thing is! The weariness of the day tugs at me. Tears begin as a dull ache deep inside--yet another obstacle to grapple with. Sleep won't come, not yet. A choice faces me, and I have to decide which path to take.

From all around, my thoughts are crying at me to follow them. "Break down, have a good cry! Overthink this situation! It's natural that you should worry about this, it's a big deal!" Their clamor can almost drown out the still, small voice of The Spirit.

Praise God, in His mercy He pulls me back from the path of my own fearful thoughts! If I make the choice to pause and listen, He brings dear, familiar words back to my mind, words I memorized long ago... "Be still, and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10) "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." (1 Pet. 5:7) The echoes of His voice grow stronger. "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." (Deu. 31:6) "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." (Is. 41:10)

His precious promises flow over me in a healing flood. The sinful thoughts, full of worry and care, are completely crushed by the weight of God's perfect, eternal love for me. As I seek His face, He is so faithful to bring comfort and peace!

When I can't rise, He lifts me up.

When I am grieving, He comforts me.

When I am afraid, He calms my heart.

When I sin, He convicts and cleanses me.

When I'm confused, He gives me light and wisdom.

When I cry out to Him, He hears me.

When I am overwhelmed, He strengthens me.

When I feel lost, He brings me home.

"Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine."

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

His strength, not mine. His robes of righteousness, not mine. His thoughts, His plans, His ways.

Not mine. Never mine.

In His presence is fulness of joy, and the emptiness of grief has no place. In the palm of His hand is perfect peace, and turmoil no longer tears at my heart. In His Word I find the wisdom and strength I need, and confusion disappears. At His throne of grace I am accepted through the blood of His dear Son, and rejection by people here on earth is irrelevant. In His embrace is deepest comfort, and the ache of tears fades away.

His plans for me are just, holy, and right. I don't need to know what the path looks like around the bend, because my Lord is holding my hand and asking me to simply take the next step. As my Shepherd, He knows exactly which steps I need to take as He grows me and draws me nearer to Himself. In the darkness and unknowns, He shows me treasures and reveals His perfect holiness. He goes before me, leading the way.

Tomorrow may hold blue skies or gray, rough roads or easy. That's in His hands.

But tonight, I will take a breath, give this to God, and go to sleep.

Mykaela

Guest Post: The God of ALL Flesh

Hey there, all you awesome people! :)
Back in February of this year, my dear friend Katie wrote a guest post that has been one of the most popular posts on this blog to date. You should absolutely go check it out at this link if you missed it! Today, Katie is back again, with another thought provoking and convicting post. I am so thankful to have good friends that edify and encourage me to draw closer to The Lord! Welcome back, Katie! :) 

**(Just a side note here, there are going to be a couple of guest posts in the next few weeks due to my trip. But that's ok, because like I said...I've got some pretty amazing friends with fantastic writing abilities. ;)

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“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?”
Jeremiah 32:27

The God of all flesh. That means He’s the God of the atheists, the Mormons, and the Buddhists, whether they know it or not. Their life is in His hands… Job 12:10 says “In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.” They will all stand before Him someday (Rom. 14:10). Everyone will worship the true God of the Bible eventually, whether they will be spending eternity with Him, or in Hell.

Isaiah 45:22-23 says, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: For I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue swear.” In Romans 14:12, Paul adds after quoting Isaiah, “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” Philippians 2:11 clarifies it further: “And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

In the last year, I’ve had the opportunity to talk to Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and an atheist. It was difficult to talk to the atheist because since he didn’t believe in God at all, we had totally different worldviews. But it was somehow even more difficult to talk to the Mormons and JW’s because though we agreed on many things, we couldn’t agree on who God is. But they will each bow before Him one day. God makes Himself known in Creation; He does not cause anyone to be ignorant. They are allowed to be ignorant if they choose (II Pet. 3:5), but they have no excuse for it (Rom. 1:20).

What about those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour? Do we act like it? I sometimes forget that I can’t dwell on only the enjoyable aspects of God’s character; I’ve got to take seriously His more terrifying characteristics too. God is good. God is merciful. But He’s not anyone to mess around with! God is my Father. But because He is, He is going to discipline me when I sin (Prov. 3:12, Rev. 3:19). If God sent His chosen people, Israel, into captivity because of their idolatry, it is foolish of me to think that God will always show me mercy and favor when I am putting anything else above my relationship with Him.

God actually desires us to know Him, talk to Him, and have an intimate relationship with Him. He wants to answer our prayers and cause us to live victoriously. We are no more deserving of it than those who reject Him. And yet we forget to thank Him, try to do everything our own way, fall asleep reading His Word, and use prayer as a last resort rather than continually being in a spirit of dependence on the One who gives us all things. How sad. He is giving us each breath we breathe. Let’s act like He’s our God!

Katie

Fun Post: August and September Favorites

Hooray! Another Favorites post! :) Also, Happy National Coffee day to all my followers. May your coffee be strong, dark, creamy and satisfying. ;)

I like to do favorites posts once a month, but as it was around September 15th before I realized that I hadn't done one for August, I decided to postpone it. ;) My next few months are going to be insanely busy, (more on that to come), so I may end up posting much less frequently even than I did in the summer. I hope not, but it may turn out that way. :/ Thank you for understanding!! Without further ado, some of my summer favorites! I've been:

Reading...
Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery. (She is most known for her Anne of Green Gables series). Personally, though so far I've only read the first book in this trilogy, I'm not sure why the Emily books are not considered as much of a classic as the Anne books are! Sweet, relatable characters, awesome vocabulary, fantastic plots...what more can you ask for? ;)

The Walls are Talking by former abortion clinic worker, Abby Johnson. This book is heartbreaking in every way. And yet so, so important. Though this book is grievous to read at any age, I don't recommend it for younger readers. It is a collection of stories from many different clinic workers who left their work after realizing the horrors of what actually goes on inside those walls. They share their stories in honest, open ways, revealing from an insider's point of view how the abortion industry destroys and shatters the lives of the women it claims to be helping. I pray that the women who were brave enough to contribute find healing and redemption through Christ! Some already have, and it is so precious to hear their testimonies.

I started reading a few other books, but can't really recommend any of them, as I'm either not finished, or they turned out to be not my style. ;P

Buying...
My kayak!! I got a used one from Craigslist, and have SO much enjoyed paddling down the Columbia. :) Wenatchee has TONS of riverfront parks open to the public, so it's easy to drop it in and run it down river a few miles, and just get picked up at another park dock! I enjoy being on the river so much. It is peaceful and quiet, (I stay fairly near the shore so there's no crazy currents ;). I love to stop paddling and just drift along for a while, enjoying the beauty. The kids have really loved being able to borrow it for rides as well!

Writing...
Not as much as I should be. If I could, I would be working on my projects all day, but a little thing called life gets in the way. ;) I hope to tell you more about said projects soon, though!

Hanging out with...
Wolves. Yes, wolves. We took a trip to the fair on family day when most of the kids got in for free, and there was an animal show there. The guy had snakes, lizards, marsupials, birds of prey, and a cage with three wolves in it. He asked for a volunteer and I raised my hand. When he called me up there, he said, "Go get in the wolf cage." Allllrighty then. On it. ;P They do play rougher than dogs, which is to be expected, but what cooler way to have a hole torn in your skirt than by a wolf? :'D They had very beautiful eyes, and super soft, thick fur. It was definitely a fun thing to experience! Kourage enjoyed holding a few snakes, my mom and I got kissed by a lizard, and Malachi held a giant lizard. :) Pretty cool all around!

Travelling to...
Sumas, Washington for a ladies' retreat with my church women. Last year it was so fun and special, so I had high expectations for this year. I was not disappointed! From absolutely decadent food, to Garden of Eden worthy landscape, trails, and flowers at the retreat center, to staying up until 3:15 talking, to convicting devotionals...it was amazing. It was such a blessing to spend time with friends and sisters in Christ, some of whom I only see a few times a year. Even the long drive over was fun, being able to talk with the ladies from Blessed Hope without small ones around. ;) Plus, my grandma was in Canada at the time, only 8 miles from the retreat center, and was able to stop in for a couple hours!! I hope this retreat goes on to become a cherished tradition! :)

Excited (over the moon, elated, thrilled, exuberant) about...
The missions trip coming up. ;) I am so happy to see things coming together, tickets have been purchased, and music is being prepared. Also coming up in the next couple months are the following: my 21st birthday (on Wednesday! ;), Family Conference with some friends from Alaska, my parents travelling to a conference in North Dakota, the missions conference in Oak Harbor (a highlight of every year!), a missionary friend visiting and preaching for us, and Thanksgiving--early, since I'll be leaving for Fiji on Thanksgiving day. Whew! All of these things are so exciting! I am praying that God will do great things through them, and most of all, that I will keep the right focus through all of it. And that I won't become stressed or worried about the future. (Anyone else struggle with that?) I am truly looking forward to seeing how He will work in the many adventures that are coming up. :)

Going through...
God's Word in 90 days. As a countdown for the trip, I am going through the Bible in 3 months. Last year I did it in one, (see this post), and although I enjoyed doing that, it definitely is a bit easier going through it slower! :) I'm reading 15-20 chapters a day instead of around 35. I love the feeling of accomplishment as each book moves into the next, and reading about the thread of God's love and redemption plan that runs through the whole Bible. 

Thankful for...
Some extra work on the side with Amazon. That will be so helpful for the trip! God's guidance and direction. Good, uplifting music. A short camping trip with the family. Apples--tart, sweet, and crunchy. Marco Polo...it's a video message app, and it's been so special for keeping in touch with my friend Kimberly, who is living in Taiwan until February!! :O Late night talks with friends. Somehow knowing that you can talk for a long time is so precious. :) Photoshoots with Miriam. I promise you, at least 75% of my phone pictures involve her in some way. ;P She's so CUTE though!!! Heavy blankets, as the nights are already getting chilly here. (I'm still not quite ready to let go of summer, though. October 1, I might pull out my boots. I renounce those people who start shrieking about pumpkin spice when it's still 80 degrees outside. XD) 

Well, that's it for today! What are some of your highlights from the last couple of months? Hope you have a lovely weekend! 
Mykaela

The Mind Stayed on Jehovah

Isaiah 26:3-4 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

These verses are fairly well known, so much so that I feel we tend to overlook them sometimes. Just because a verse is embedded in your mind does not diminish its power! 

One important thing I have noticed recently is the word "mind" in verse 3. 

Who will The Lord keep in perfect peace and give everlasting strength to? The one whose mind is stayed on Him. The man or woman who chooses to make their thoughts be focused on the things of God instead of the world. The one who has temptation come knocking and turns from it with the knowledge that to succumb would be to grieve the heart of a holy God. The one who keeps their thoughts from straying to places they should not go. 

When all is said and done, where does every sin start? In the mind. You can't steal something before you think about stealing something. You can't lie without creating the lie in your mind first. You can't become bitter and angry at someone unless you first thought over your perceived wrongs from them and chose not to deal properly with the anger. 

When your mind is stayed and fixed on the Most High, low thoughts have no place. When you are focused on the Holiest of the Holy, unholy thoughts can't enter. When you are trusting the One whose perfect compassion and love redeemed you from eternal death, how can hateful or unloving thoughts take root? 

To the one whose mind is stayed on God, there is promised perfect peace. Freedom from turmoil and unrest. A place of refuge under the shadow of His mighty wings. There is also promised everlasting strength. Strength to fight against the temptation that pounds in from all sides. Strength to stand when others are falling into sin. Strength to walk in His footsteps even when the path becomes rough and jagged. 

It takes faith and purpose of heart to keep our minds stayed on Jehovah. It's not something that will happen in one instant. But how worthwhile it is when more and more of our time is spent meditating on the things of God and on His Word, instead of filling our minds with the things of earth! How precious it is when the love of Christ begins to overshadow the temptations that come, giving us strength to endure and resist them! Is it not worth the effort? If we love Him, we should be keeping His commandments, and they are not grievous! 

This week, I want to focus my heart and mind on the King who saved me, turning away from the chaos of a wicked world. I want to fight in the strength of The Lord against the temptation that will come. I want to reach out to the lost around me with love, knowing that in Christ lies the peace that they seek.

Will you join me?

Mykaela

To Know Him More Fully!

Psalm 42:1-2 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

"When we look to God, we trust. When we look to things, and circumstances, and surroundings, we grow anxious." ~~J. McConkey

"[Salvation] is where we begin [to know and pursue God], but where we stop no man has yet discovered, for there is in the awful and mysterious depths of the Triune God neither limit nor end." ~~A.W. Tozer

"The deepest fact about us is our desperate need of God." ~~Unknown

I would like to share with you something that I wrote in my prayer journal a few weeks ago. As I looked back over the things I'd written, these quotes came back to me as going hand in hand with it. I hope it is a blessing to you!

Prayer Journal, entry for ~July 30, 2017

Lately God has been teaching me an invaluable lesson. It is one that many others have learned, and even written about, before me. It's a lesson that, sadly, we can't seem to learn second hand. We must each find our way through it on our own. It is the path of realizing that there IS no complete and total fulfillment outside of knowing God. I will never find the fullness of joy in writing. In music. In a relationship. In a friendship. No mere thing and no mere human can ever take the place of the deepest longing of my soul--that of knowing and communing with God. Nothing can fill that hole. The more I try to fill it, the more weary and heartsick I will become. He is my strength, my Redeemer, my portion, my salvation, my Rock, my Fortress, the lifter up of mine head, the One True God, my King, my God. He is all. He. Is. All. Only God.

And another glorious wonder? God wants to know me. I am priceless and full of worth in His eyes. I have done nothing worthy of the God of the universe even noticing me, and yet He tells me that His thoughts of me are more numerous than can be counted. He loves me. How? I will never know. He is God. He is perfect. He is The Holy One, and yet He condescends to care about ME. I, who wanders away from Him at every turn. I, who is foolish and ungrateful, and does not love or praise Him as He deserves. He loves me. He wants me to know Him, He wants to fill that deepest longing of my heart. Wonder of all wonders, I am His. And He is mine. 
Mykaela

The Meditation of The Heart

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer." ~Psalm 19:14

The words we speak begin in the heart,

whether pure, or full of hate.

The heart is deceitful, prideful and vain,

and difficult to change.

Without the power of The Holy Ghost,

It's vain to hope for good,

For from the heart the mouth will speak,

'Tis written in God's Word.

Who can know the ways of the heart?

No wisdom of earth can reveal them--

The scars a bitter heart can cause,

Only God above can heal them.

Oh, be careful what you allow in your heart,

Believer, pray for wisdom!

Meditate and speak on things that are pure--

Seek ye first the kingdom.

Only God looks on the heart,

He sees the hidden thoughts.

He knows the secret motives,

Whether intentions are good, or not.

May those hidden thoughts be clean,

before the words are spoken.

For by words that come from a heart that's wrong,

A spirit can be broken.

~Anonymous

A Few Survival Tips (From the only perfect Guidebook)

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
  
I was reading this passage in my morning devotions the other day, and was overwhelmed once again with the sheer richness of it. It's like a mini survival manual, tucked into the end of this short book of the Bible. I could write a separate blog post for each of these commands. For sake of brevity, I'll just break each of them down a little bit in one post. ;) This is such a practical section of Scripture that easy to work on applying on an hourly and daily basis. Notice I said "work on" applying. None of these things are innate; it takes effort to walk in God's ways. However, these are super straightforward and simple to understand. Let's look a little closer at the instructions...

1. Rejoice evermore.
Ok, wow. Right off the bat, we are getting into convicting mode. Does rejoicing mix well with complaining, gossip, bickering, or griping? No. No, it does not. So when I do ANY of those things, I am not rejoicing in The Lord. Which means I am sinning. Wow.


2. Pray without ceasing.
The issue of prayer has really been heavy on my heart for the past couple of months. I know my prayer life is one of the things I tend to let slip the most, and yet it is so utterly vital to my walk with God! Satan knows this, and he is quick to jump on opportunities to lure me into thoughts like, "Oh, I'll pray later when I have more time", or "I prayed some earlier, I don't need to spend more time in prayer now, do I?" Hello?! What better way to spend time than in the presence of my Saviour? And what other things do I hold as being more important? How dare I spend more time talking with my earthly friends or even my family, than I do talking with Almighty God who saved my soul?! I recently asked a dear friend to keep me accountable about my prayer time, because I want to strive more than ever to make prayer a daily and constant habit. Not just praying now and then throughout the day, but dedicating time to talking with God. Praying through the day is great though, don't get me wrong! It is so important to incorporate talking to and praising God into our routine tasks. <3


3. In every thing give thanks.
When my paycheck comes in early? Yeah, I give Him thanks. When I get to do something fun or special with a friend? Yep. When I am having a really, really good day? Sure. But what about when nothing is going right? When my body is hurting? When my friends are far away and I can't talk with or be with them like I want to? When I lose something or someone I loved? Do I still thank God? Do I still sing a song of praise to Him when my heart is breaking? In EVERY THING give thanks. Why? Because this is the will of God in Christ Jesus. And I need no more reason than that.


4. Quench not the Spirit.
When I see things from God's Word that contradict what I'm actually doing in my life, so often I have pushed it away with a feeble excuse. So often I am guilty of quenching the Spirit's whisperings of truth in my heart. The very One who was given to guide me, I turn away from. God forgive me.


5. Despise not prophesyings.
When I sit under the preaching of the Scripture, I should have an attitude of humility, searching my own heart. Not ever a spirit of criticism or annoyance at having to listen. So often, even as I walk in the doors of church, Satan is actively attacking. Whether it's me getting my hackles up about some silly offense, or a younger one straining my patience...it's a fight every time to have my heart prepared to be still and listen. And I don't always win that fight, but I'm going to keep trying.


6. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
One of the most popular Bible verses that the lost, (and many saved actually, too) like to twist is "Judge not, that ye be not judged." They usually just conveniently ignore the rest of the chapter, and even the second half of the verse, and chop it down to a simple and blanket statement: "Judge not." However, we as children of God SHOULD be judging certain things! Not looking down on others and beating them over the head for their sin; of course not! But we DO need to judge things that we come in contact with, be it as "small" as a movie or book, or as large as a new doctrine or idea being introduced. We have to look on these things with discernment, and judge whether they are right or wrong, using God's Word as the standard. We don't judge things or people out of our own hearts, because our hearts are corrupt, and trusting the heart is foolish. (Jer. 17:9, Prov. 28:26) But we do hold things up to the standard of the Bible, and if they pass the test, we should hold them fast. If not, we should run far away from them.


7. Abstain from all appearance of evil.
What if someone were to look through your life today? As in, everything from your Instagram and Facebook accounts, to the clothing you wear, to the books you read, to the movies you watch, to the friends you hang out with, to where you spend your weekends...everything. Would there be any evidence that you are a Christian? Or would there be so much appearance of evil that they would have a really hard time figuring it out? Man. That is really thought provoking.


8. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
This last section is so important, because we cannot even do one of the above mentioned things without the help of God. He is the One who sanctifies us, and gives us peace. He preserves us when we are following Him wholeheartedly. He is faithful to grow and lead us in His way, for He has called us by name. How precious to be guided and strengthened by God's hand! How earnestly we ought to strive to follow His commandments, for they are not grievous!
Mykaela

Guest Post: Perfect Love

Today I am excited to present a guest post from a lovely friend of mine, Jenny! You may remember Jenny's sister, Katie, who guest posted for me a few months back. You can read that post here. Jenny is such a blessing and encouragement to me, and she is truly gifted with words!! She could be a very compelling author...I'm still working on her about that. ;) Without further ado, I shall let her writing speak for itself! :)

Perfect Love

"As the Father hath loved me,so have I loved you: continue ye in my love."
~ John 15:9

John 15 speaks of so many things, the main theme being the importance of abiding in God's love. But right now,I'd like to focus on this verse, because it really jumped out at me recently. What does that mean, "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you"?? How does God the Father love His Son Jesus Christ? Well... He loves Jesus perfectly, the kind of perfect love which "casteth out fear" (I John 4:18) He loves His Son completely, fully. A father's love is a strong love, a love without end. I know that my Daddy loves me. No matter how much I mess up, he'll never stop loving me. And since God is love (I John 4:16), how much more must He love His Son? I believe that God the Father loves His Son with the truest love in the world...even more than Mr.Darcy and Elizabeth, even more than the "wuv,true wuv" of Wesley and Buttercup in The Princess Bride! :)

And then the other part of the phrase..."so have I loved you:" Wait, wait. Does that mean that Jesus loves ME that much? As much as His Father loves Him?? Me? How can He? I can think of hundreds of different reasons for Him not to love me like that. I am not worthy. I'm so weak, so sinful. So filthy in His presence. (Isaiah 64:6) And yet He loves me. Enough to die for me. That's an overwhelming thought! I know better than anyone how unlovable I can be. To think that Christ loves me like God loves Him...? Sure, I can deal with the song "Jesus Loves Me". That's easy to say, but when faced with the reality that He loves me perfectly? Completely? Endlessly? Thinking about that makes me want to cry!

Jesus loves me. But not only me! The wonder goes on, as I try to fathom that He loves each and every person on this earth, despite our great sins against Him. (The clear teachings of Romans 3:10,3:23, First John 1:8,and Ecclesiastes 7:2 show us that we've all sinned!) Yet He has suffered and bled and died for our sins, because He loves us with that deep, abiding, everlasting and unconditional love. As that song goes, "Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight." It doesn't matter who you are, or what you've done. It makes no difference to Him, for He is no respecter of persons. (Acts 10:34, Romans 2:11) He loves each and every soul alive, as well as those who've already passed on. To each of them He offers Himself to cover their sins. To each He offers eternal life. Romans 6:23 tells us "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Salvation is not limited to any denomination, race, gender, or age, but it is available for everyone. "For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)

So, now that we are starting to realize just how much Jesus loves us, we arrive at the last phrase in the verse. The part where we are to continue in His love. The part where we live out the rest of John 15, such as verse 17: "These things I command you,that ye love one another." First John 4:11 puts it this way.... "Beloved, if God so loved us,we ought also to love one another." The amazing, powerful love of Jesus Christ should spread to those around us, those whom He died for!

Do you have a hard time believing how much Jesus Christ loves you? Are you loving Him as He loves you? Is God's amazing love for you being evidenced in your life? Is it shown through your treatment of others?

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I am so thankful for Jenny writing this sweet post! What an amazing thing is God's love for us. I'd like to add that one of the most powerful evidences of His perfect love is the fact that Jesus Christ rose from the dead for us!!!! As we celebrate His resurrection this weekend, let's meditate on how very much God loved us to send His Son for our salvation. Christ is risen!

Mykaela

10 years ago...

Psalm 40:2-3 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

Today is a very special day for me. 10 years ago on March 14, 2007, my life changed. And I don't mean just a little thing...my entire world was overturned and put back together again. It was the day that I let go of all my stupid, selfish pride, and asked God to save my soul. And He did!!! You can read the whole story in more detail here. Today I would like to take a moment to thank The Lord for all the incredible things He has done in my life since that day. 

• He gave me an eternal home in Heaven. It is 100% assured to me that when I die, there is a place for me in His Kingdom. (1 John 5:13) What a promise! 
• He made me His child. (Gal. 4:5) Even if I lost everything and everyone that is dear to me tomorrow, I would never be alone. I have a Father in heaven that loves me more than anyone on this earth ever could!
• He has continually grown me since that day in 2007. Though I am so, so far from perfect, and I still make mistakes day after day...I can look back over the path of these 10 years and see how each and every trial and triumph has worked out for His glory in my life. I would not be who I am today without those things that He has brought me through!
• He has never forsaken me. Though there have been times that He has seemed far away due to my own sin and foolish choices, He has never left me. He is always there to pick me up when I fall, to forgive my sin, to guide me when I face tough decisions, and to chasten me when I stray from Him. 
• He has showered me with SO many material blessings. From my family to a warm house to live in, to clothes on my back, a church home, money in my bank account, and food on my table...He has blessed me much more than I could ever deserve!!!

I don't know where I would be if I hadn't made the choice to follow Christ starting 10 years ago. I frankly don't even like to think about it--life without God's saving grace would not be a life at all! My entire outlook on everything; finances, friends, relationships...everything is seen through different glasses. I am no longer a ship without an anchor. I am under the hand of the Captain who spoke the wind and seas into existence. I'm not wandering lost in the wilderness; I am safe in the fold of The Great Shepherd. I'm no longer fighting on the losing side, in bondage to sin. I joined the army of the King of Kings, who gave His own life to set me free. I have a new name, a new family, a new song of praise to Him. I am a new creature. So while today marks an anniversary, I don't ever want to stop praising my God for His love for me, any day of the year. I want to keep growing in my love and service to Him so that whether I live another 10 years or another 100 years, I can stand before The Lord and hear Him say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!"

Mykaela

Be Not Weary...

2 Thessalonians 3:13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

"May I never grow so weary with fighting this daily battle that my sword falls from my hand. May I never become like so many around me--complacent, content to dabble in the mud at the foot of the holy mount, instead of pressing step by step to the summit. May I instead be like a strong, thriving tree, pointing others to heaven. Like the moon, brilliantly reflecting the sun of my Saviour's righteousness. May I be a warrior, valiantly struggling against the enemies of the truth. May I be a lamb, meekly accepting instruction and enduring persecution and suffering, with the knowledge that I am ever in The Good Shepherd's hands. May I live passionately, fervently, in sweet communion with my King, not caring for the opinion of others. May I live so victoriously that those around me will glorify God because of my life. May I pour out my time, my energy, my talents, my desires, my very life at the feet of Christ, allowing Him to use them as He will. May my heart never be wandering or distracted, but instead fixed solely on performing the will of The One who redeemed me. May it never be said of me or any other true follower of Jesus, that I became weary in well doing."

~~Anonymous

Just wanted to share this with you all. I pray you each have a blessed day in The Lord's house tomorrow, and a great week to come! Let's start off the week in praise to God! :) 

Mykaela

Sunday Snippets: What Could Go Wrong?

Proverbs 3:5-7 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

I apologize for the very late post today--I had my wisdom teeth out on Friday (you can see the aftermath here ;), and have not felt up to doing much over the past couple days. 

These verses are very famous, at least verses 5 and 6 are, and they get talked about a lot. I think this is one of those passages (like John 3:16), that we tend to overlook or undervalue, because we have heard it so many times. Also, verse 7 is almost never included when these verses are quoted. :/

This past week, I faced a big decision, one that will change my everyday life quite a lot if it comes to pass. It was one of those things where I kept praying and praying about it, and eventually had to just step out in faith, do what I can, and pray that if it's God's will for it to happen, He'll line it up for me. 

So many times in life we agonize over choices. Whether it is a move, a job, a health decision, a sacrifice, etc., we tend to overthink things a LOT. Is that trusting in the Lord with all our hearts? Or is that leaning on our own understanding? 

Think about a choice that you are facing, big or small, and let me ask you this: If God wants a certain thing to happen in your life, can you mess it up? Yes, you can. If you are not walking in The Spirit, and are not trying to follow God and His Word, then He is not going to bless you, but rather chastise you, if you're His child. 

However, if you are following verse 7, fearing The Lord and departing from evil, you cannot mess things up!! Isn't that a really comforting thought? When you are walking in the footsteps of The Saviour day by day, you are not going to stop God's will from happening in your life! 

God knows what He is doing. As cliche as that might sound, it is so true. All you can do is pray that He will keep you walking close to Him, and He will lead in every pathway that comes up. Until then just rest in Him! Trust that He has a plan that's way better than anything you can lay out in your own feeble mind! :) 

I realize this post may be a bit disjointed, and again, I apologize...I hope I made at least a little bit of sense. Have a wonderful week, everyone!
Mykaela

Sunday Snippets: Where Did We Come From? (Guest Post!)

Hello, everyone!
Today I am happy to introduce a friend of mine, Sarah. I met her through a missions trip her church did to help us out in our ministry, and it has been a blessing getting to know her. Sarah blogs over at Dreaming In Alaska, and posts much more regularly than I do. ;) You should go check it out! I hope you enjoy her guest post!

"For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;" ~Titus 3:3-6

Sometimes we need a reminder of where we came from. Our relationship with God didn't begin when we were born, but rather when we were born again; when we finally admitted we were sin filled creatures and there was only one way that situation could be alleviated.

Everyone begins a sinner separated from God. There is only one person who was born into the world that did not start this way, and that is our Saviour, the only person who remained sinless His whole time on this Earth. Now this doesn't mean that we shouldn't try to live a pure life, but rather that we should be pushed to show others that there is another way to live.

We are not sent to judge those who are living in sin, but to point them to the cross, to show them that a life of sin is not the only way, or even the best way. We were sinners once too. We reveled in it and loved our sin, which is why we could not live a life with God. He cannot tolerate sin or even be in it's presence. But that is why He sent Jesus to die on the cross. The only living being that could completely cover our sins and make them disappear. Our sins are as far as the East is from the West.

There is only one way in which we can show others the Cross, and that is by showing them what Christ has done for us. We cannot force someone else to see their sin the way we do, but we can be examples in the way we live and ask questions that will make others think about what they believe; show them information and let them make decisions for themselves.

Are we living a life of judgement where we look like we hate everyone, or are we showing the love of Jesus Christ? We are called to love the people, not their sin, and we can only do that by letting God work through us. Who is in control? It is only by the grace of God that we are saved from an eternity separated from Him; are we letting that grace work in our lives and letting it shine towards others? Let us not forget where God saved us from!

"And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." ~1 Cor. 6:11

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You all have a great week, ok? I am getting my wisdom teeth out this week, so it should be interesting/eventful, at least. ;P I would appreciate prayers for that if you think of it. :) 

Be strong in The Lord!

Mykaela

Sunday Snippets: Through The Word in 30 Days?!

Ezra 7:10 "For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments."

Psalm 119:16 "I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word."

Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

So this month I have been reading through The Bible in 30 days. Today is Day 12, and I am actually ahead of schedule by a few chapters. It has definitely been a challenge and a blessing! I've never read it in shorter than a year before, so it feels kind of crazy. ;) Today I'd like to voice my thoughts on what I've learned from reading God's Word in so short a space of time. 

1. You get a really nice "big picture" or overview.
I was kind of expecting that reading through so quickly would make my comprehension go down quite a bit. Maybe it has in some ways, but at the same time, when you read about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the formation of the nation of Israel ALL in one day, it's really cool to then read about their journeys as a people the next day, and have all the recent history fresh in your mind, so to speak. It's been great to get a vision of the whole thread of God's narrative throughout the Bible, and all the symbolism pointing to Christ, from the very beginning. 

2. It takes dedication.
When I started this, I really did not want to begin it and then fizzle out three or four days in. I wanted to see it through all the way. Praise God I have been able to do so thus far, (and Lord willing I'll be able to finish it), but it has definitely taken a lot of time and dedication. If you want to do something like this, you have to be determined: it doesn't happen by accident. This being said...

3. It is so, so good to spend more time in God's Word.
It takes me around 2 hours a day, cumulatively, to finish the section. As a result, I have not had as much time to spend browsing Pinterest, reading other books, or wasting time in various other ways. And it has been really, really good for me! The self discipline of choosing what is more important, God's Word or my "fun time", has helped me to refocus my priorities instead of doing my own thing. 

4. God manifests Himself so clearly in EVERY book of The Bible. 
So many times we tend to skip over the long genealogies in Chronicles, or the preparations for the tabernacle, etc., but honestly...every word of God is pure! Throughout His Word, God manifests His glory and love for His people. The fact that God wanted them to live for Him and only Him, turning completely away from other gods and people groups that hated the true God; in everything He displays the great compassion and love He has for those who choose to serve Him faithfully. 

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I would highly recommend that you at least pray about going through The Bible in a shorter period of time soon. Even if it's 40 days, or two months, or whatever...it's really been eye opening to me, and I think you would be blessed by it as well! :) If you do decide to do it, let me know and we can keep each other accountable! I think accountability truly can help so much with things like this. And whether you decide to read the whole Bible through right away or not, do try to spend more time in The Word...time spent with God is never wasted! God bless you all this week!

Mykaela

Sunday Snippets: Male and Female...Born That Way After All! (Guest Post)

Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

Matthew 19:4, 12 "And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, [...] For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it."

Today I am excited to have another guest post! I haven't done a guest post in some time, so I am grateful to my wonderful dad (Papa ;) for guest posting today. This topic is very important to me, and is something that is usually either grossly mis-taught, or worse, not talked about at all in many of today's churches. The hatred of action and words that flow out of many of today's Christians concerning this matter should be a cause of great shame. If you want to know more about anything talked about in this post, please contact me (mkmcdpiano@gmail.com) or go to Born That Way or Josh Agan for more information. This Page, (Also written by my dad) goes into more detail as well. 

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There is a lot of emphasis today upon the subject of "transgender people." Proponents of transgenderism, the homosexual lifestyle, and the "transgender community" make it clear that they do not agree with the biblical definition of marriage, male, female, and other terms used in the Bible that violate their beliefs concerning these issues. How should a Christian respond? What should our mindset be? As Bible believers, we state that the Bible is our sole authority for faith and practice. Do we use it to guide our thoughts and words in relation to these topics?

It is clear from Scripture that God created us male and female. Organizations like Glaad (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) try to tell us that sex (the classification of people as male or female) is something that is assigned at birth and is based upon the physical characteristics of the infant. They then state that it is actually a combination of many different factors (hormones, chromosomes, etc.). However, we merely recognize sex at birth not assign it at that time. A baby, from the time of conception, is male or female. Psalm 139:14-16 tells us that God knew ALL of our members (even those related to our sex) when we were still in the womb, and that we grew according to the plan that God had for our bodies (our DNA). The very fabric of our being establishes who we are, whether male or female.

Many though, do not feel they "fit" society's definition of a male or female, so they must be a homosexual or a transgender. What they do not understand, and what most Christians do not understand, is that society's definition is not God's definition. To be a male does not mean that one will have an intimate desire for women, and to be a female does not mean that one will have a desire to be a wife and mother. Not everyone will possess a desire (in an intimate manner) for the opposite sex. God has created some without that desire. The Bible describes them as eunuchs "so born from their mother's womb" (Matthew 19:12).

When one is born without this desire, it does not mean that they have a desire for the same sex, but our current culture automatically declares it an either/or situation. The Bible describes homosexual desires as unnatural and inconvenient (Romans 1). 

Believers attempt to force society's definition upon others as well, and when someone feels "different," and acts "different," we look down our noses at them. Generally not accepted by believers, these souls find acceptance with open arms by the gay community. We have allowed the world, with its depraved mentality, to define the terms. And we wonder why the battle for society (and for our children, who are entering the gay community at an alarming rate) seems to have a bleak future.
Those created by God without sexual desire are in a position to serve Him in a very special way, without the "distraction” that those desires create. We need to recognize the special gifts God has given to each of us, utilize those gifts, and allow these individuals to serve in the capacity they were intended. Let us recognize God's created order of male and female, but not put a worldly definition upon what those terms mean. Above all, be thankful for how He created you, and fulfill that role in a godly, Christ-honoring way.

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Thank you again to my dad for writing today's guest post. :) He is such a Godly example to me in my Christian walk. I hope you all have a blessed week filled with service to The Lord!

Mykaela

Sunday Snippets: Why All the Trials?

Numbers 11:11a And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant?

I want to share with you a short devotional that I read the other day, by C.H. Spurgeon. It really touched my heart, and I hope it is an encouragement to you as well. So many times we ask God this question. "Why am I being afflicted? What's the purpose of this trial? What have I done wrong?" Sometimes trials are for the purpose of correcting us, but I think more often they are not. They are to grow and refine us! Anyway, here is the devotional. :)

"Our heavenly Father sends us frequent troubles to try our faith. If our faith be worth anything, it will stand the test. Gilt is afraid of fire, but gold is not: the paste gem dreads to be touched by the diamond, but the true jewel fears no test. It is a poor faith which can only trust God when friends are true, the body full of health, and the business profitable: but that is true faith which holds by the Lord's faithfulness when friends are gone, when the body is sick, when spirits are depressed, and the light of our Father's countenance is hidden. A faith which can say, in the direst trouble, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him," is heaven-born faith. 

The Lord afflicts His servants to glorify Himself, for He is greatly glorified in the graces of His people, which are His own handiwork. When "tribulation worketh patience; and patience experience; and experience, hope," the Lord is honoured by these growing virtues. We should never know the music of the harp if the strings were left untouched; nor enjoy the juice of the grape if it were not trodden in the wine-press; nor discover the sweet perfume of cinnamon if it were not pressed and beaten; nor feel the warmth of fire if the coals were not utterly consumed. The wisdom and power of the great Workman are discovered by the trials through which His vessels of mercy are permitted to pass. 

Present afflictions tend also to heighten future joy. There must be shades in the picture to bring out the beauty of the lights. Could we be so supremely blessed in heaven if we had not known the curse of sin and the sorrow of earth? Will not peace be sweeter after conflict, and rest more welcome after toil? Will not the recollection of past sufferings enhance the bliss of the glorified? There are many other comfortable answers to the question of our text, let us muse upon it all the day long."

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Psalm 119:67 says, "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word." Let's remember that when trials come, we need to lean on The Lord and trust that He is bringing about our growth and His glory! Don't let your trials make you bitter. God knows what He is doing! I hope you all have a wonderful week! :)

Mykaela

Sunday Snippets: The Simple Truth

Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Today will probably be a short post. I just want to take the time to thank God for the beautiful simplicity of His great Salvation. As I was falling asleep last night, I was thinking about this concept. There are more aspects and facets to the salvation of a soul than I will probably ever understand. The doctrines of imputation, justification, sanctification, etc., while all true and wonderful to think about, does God require someone to fully grasp and understand each of them before He allows them to be saved?? Of course not!

How precious is it that the God of the universe sent His only Son to do what no human could ever do (For all have sinned…), and though the act of fulfilling the covenant and fully keeping the law was something that we would never completely grasp, He still made His salvation so perfectly simple that even a child could understand it. Even myself as a 10 year old girl, steeped in the blackness of my own sin, had only to turn from sin and call on the name of Jesus Christ, and my life was altered forever! 

I feel like I’m not being very coherent here, but I guess all I’m trying to say is that I marvel at how complex and yet infinitely simple it is for us to be saved. It is the easiest and hardest thing you will ever do, to let go of your pride, selfishness, fear of man, and anything else standing between you and God, and simply ask. Ask to receive the free gift He has offered. Ask Him to save you. Call on the name of The Lord! It is so amazing to me that He has done so much…He has literally done everything for us except for the action of reaching out to take the gift!! Who could reject such an offer? Why would you want to? 

I think one of Satan’s greatest tricks is overcomplicating salvation. He wants it to seem like we aren’t good enough, don’t know enough, haven’t done enough…since when was salvation about any of that? We need to be careful when we present the Gospel that we tell it as it is—Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection paid the fine for the law we have all broken. All we have to do is turn from sin to God. That’s it. He hears the cry of our hearts and answers us! Praise God for His mercy in making such a priceless gift free for the taking. <3

Mykaela

Sunday Snippets: Liberty in Christ...a Free Pass to Live it Up?

Galatians 5:13 "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another."

Once upon a recent time, in a land that lies very close to all of us, there lived a young woman. We will call her Jill. Jill grew up in a Christian home, and repented of her sin and turned to Christ for salvation as a child. During her teen years, however, Jill began to feel that her parents were way too strict and stuck up about this faith stuff. She mostly just went to church so she could hang out with her friends in youth group. Plus it was nice to have that routine on Sundays. She could check off her good deed for the week. Once she started going to college, she kind of left off with the church deal...I mean after all, she did lots of nice things to make up for it.

One day, Jill decided to try out a local assembly, since she didn't have any previous plans for that particular Sunday morning. As she drove into the parking lot of Bubbly Springs of Overflowing Happiness Church, Jill was already getting the feel-good vibes, and she loved it! People were smiling, there was a nice coffee and donut shop right inside the front door, the music was super trendy, with just enough reference to God that you could maybe guess that it was supposed to be a Christian song, not a rock song. As the pastor stood up to preach, he instructed the congregation to turn their eyes to the projector screen, where Galatians 5:1 was outlined in front of a gorgeous nature photo. Being careful not to reference the context of the passage, Pastor Stan the Man read off the text: "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." 

During the following eighteen minute sermon, Jill's previous thoughts were totally confirmed...Since she now had her ticket to heaven, everything was permissible!!! She could live however she wanted to. She could do, say, eat, and drink whatever her flesh desired. In fact, she should glory in her liberty, and not let anyone bring her into the bondage of cumbersome standards or principles again. This was amazing!! Jill was beyond thrilled as she left the building. No more following endless rules and regulations for her! 

She began to live it up...drinking, partying, relationships--she had freedom in Christ! She wore whatever was all the rage, with no regard for any kind of modesty. She listened to the latest bands and artists, reveling in the way their music made her feel. If any well-meaning friend happened to mention that maybe she should think about trying to live for God a little more, Jill was quick to blow their self-righteousness out of the water. Who did they think they were?! She reminded them sharply of the fact that she was a Christian, but that Jesus had freed her--and they could just take their legalistic, old fashioned ideas elsewhere. 

Years passed. Jill married, had a successful career, and raised two kids who were allowed to do just exactly what they wanted. Jill never quite understood why John and Susie didn't turn out like she would have liked them to: after all, she and her husband gave them everything a kid could want! Oh, well, if they were happy, that's all that mattered. Jill grew older, retired, had grandkids, and one day, she became ill. Surrounded by her family, Jill died. And a moment later, she stood before the Creator of the Universe, Jesus Christ.

Jill looked on The One who gave her life, and hung her head. She had nothing. Nothing to show for the years He had given her on this earth. She realized now that as she had used her liberty in Christ as an occasion to the flesh, she had wasted the one most precious thing she had--to bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ. God had created her with one purpose, and one purpose only, and she had turned away from it so she could enjoy the things this world had to offer. In pursuing wealth, love, accomplishments, praise of man, bigger and better cars and houses, and entertainment, Jill had rejected the sacrifice Christ had made. The sacrifice He had made not only to set her free from the law and the second death, but to give her the power to serve Him with her whole heart!

Jill entered heaven with no crowns to lay at her Saviour's feet. Will you do the same?

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I realize this was a bit of a sad story. I don't want to be a downer, but I'm going to be honest. I know a Jill. In fact, I know quite a lot of Jills. They waltz through life with the mindset that since they now have their ticket out of hell, they can live the good life and squeak into heaven by the skin of their teeth, so to speak. But they never realize the heartache it will be to live without fulfilling God's glorious purpose for their lives, and then enter His rest with not one treasure laid up in heaven. 

I implore you to think carefully about this. Are you living every day with the realization that you are a Child of the Most High God? Are you bringing Him glory? Or is God just Someone you might think about on Sunday morning as you cross off your mandatory church attendance box? May none of us be guilty of living like this!

Mykaela